Mob Grazing on the Farm and on the Homestead: Greg Judy and Jack Spirko

Cattle are the most well known Mob Grazers.

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I recently shared a TED Talk by Allan Savory (you can see that article here) on how to reverse desertification by using intensive rotational grazing, a.k.a. "mob grazing" with cattle. As is with most TED Talks, the discussion was big on ideas but not on details. That is the point with TED Talks though. They want to spread ideas just to get them out there.

However, the following lecture by Greg Judy, which was given at the Virginia Biological Farming Conference in 2011, really explains the why and how of this amazing idea. If you have any interest in keeping livestock, in healing the land, or in the care of animals in a humane way, I would recommend watching this keynote address:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6HGKSvjk5Q

Geese are a smaller-scale alternative to Mob Grazing.

http://imgc.artprintimages.com/images/art-print/domestic-geese-graze-on-the-lawn-by-a-local-farmers-house_i-G-28-2878-RK1PD00Z.jpg

Now, what if you love the idea of Mob Grazing, but you either don't want to keep cattle or don't live on a 100+ acre farm? What if you have a little "land"... like a large suburban yard? Well, if you live in an area where you can keep geese or chickens or even a few goats, then I would really recommend listening to the following podcast by Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast. Jack spends a lot of time discussing homesteading and Permaculture, and this podcast focuses on using animals other than cattle for homestead-level Mob Grazing: Taking "Mob Grazing" to the Small Piece of Land.

Allan Savory's TED Talk: How to green the desert and reverse climate change

Allan Savory

http://www.greenbiz.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/wide_large/savory.jpg

This presentation has been going around the "Permaculture World" for the last month. It is amazing. This is a must watch video if you have any interest in repairing our broken ecosystems.

From the TED website:

“Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert,” begins Allan Savory in this quietly powerful talk. And it's happening to about two-thirds of the world’s grasslands, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. Savory has devoted his life to stopping it. He now believes -- and his work so far shows -- that a surprising factor can protect grasslands and even reclaim degraded land that was once desert. 

Allan Savory works to promote holistic management in the grasslands of the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpTHi7O66pI

Heritage Breeds: Highland Cattle

Highland Cattle

http://www.highlandcattlesociety.com/uploads/highland_breed.jpg

This breed of beef cattle originates from the Scottish Highlands.  With its characteristic shaggy hair, long forelocks, and long horns, it is not easily forgotten.  It has a unique double hair coat (coarse outer layer and wooly inner layer).  This coat helps it to easily handle cold and rainy climates, but it can shed its thick coat to thrive in hot and humid weather as well.

In Recovering Status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.  For a full description of Heritage and Heirloom Foods, check out this post.

This is a breed I am strongly considering adding to my land... one day.  I had a chance to talk to a couple who raised Highlands on their farm in Minnesota.  They loved them.  This breed has a lot of attributes that are beneficial for small farmers.  On top of that, their beef is delicious!

Award winning cow and her calf.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hairyhighland/5198429020/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Description

     Medium sized beef cattle

Height

     Cows 3 - 3.5 feet at the shoulders

     Bulls 3.5 - 4 ft as the shoulders

Weight

     Cows 900 - 1,300 lbs

     Bulls 1,500 - 2,000 lbs

     Calves 60-70 lbs (that's small - makes for easier delivery)

Color

     Solid Red is most common

     Solid Black, Brindle, Cream, Dun, Yellow, White, and Silver are all traditional colors.

Horns

     Cows - sweep out and up

     Bulls - horizontal with upturned tips

Highland Bull.

http://www.edwud.com/photos/highland_bull_scotland.jpg

History

Developed mainly through natural selection in the Scottish Highlands and Scottish Western Isles where rugged land, strong winds, and high rainfall produced a sturdy breed.  The Highland was standardized and improved in the 1800's.  This is a rather unique breed, because the improvement was made using only Highland cattle.  No other breeds were cross-breed with the Highland for improving the breed characteristics.  The Highland cattle registry was established in 1885.  Their other name, Kyloe, comes from the Scottish term for strait, the bodies of water the cattle had to swim across to make it to market.

Of interest, a group of Highlands is called a fold (instead of the more common term, herd).

Highland Calves

http://www.romesdalhighlanders.co.uk/3calves1.JPG

Attributes/Permaculture Planning

• Beef is of high flavor
• Lean meat - Most of their insulation comes from their shaggy coat and not fat.  According to the Scottish Agricultural College, Highland beef has lower fat and cholesterol and higher protein and iron content than other beef breeds.
• Medium sized cattle
• Easy handling - Scots used to keep the family cow inside their home in the winter!
• Strong maternal abilities - Highly devoted and protective mothers.
• Efficient reproduction - Noted for their ease with calving
• Very hardy
• Long lived
• Thrive in cold, wet climates
• Thrives on rough forage - will graze and browse in areas that other cattle will not and can consume a wide variety of "pest" plants.  Often used in Europe to improve pastures before the more developed (i.e. fragile) breeds of cattle are moved in.

Highlands are excellent mothers.

http://www.highlandcattle.org.nz/gallery.php?id=anytime48e54f104120e

http://www.bairnsley.com/Web%20Photos/Hilly,calf-home.JPG

For more information on Highland cattle, check out the American Highland Cattle Association.